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Travel Destination Guide - Durban
Durban (South Africa) 
Durban Information
Slideshow of Photos
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Delightful Durban is the largest city of the vast and varied Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa. A coastal port with a more than equable sub-tropical climate and wide golden beaches washed by the warm Indian Ocean, Durban is a holidaymaker's paradise and gateway to the dozens of seaside resort towns of the coast to the south and north of the city.
The 'Golden Mile' central beach area, flanked by numerous high-rise hotels, stretches for four miles (six km) and is fronted by promenades and entertainment facilities, flea markets and colourful traditionally clad Zulu rickshaw pullers. A fleet of 'tuk-tuk' type three-wheelers has augmented public transport in the city.
Although much of Durban is characterised by British colonial architecture, the city is actually an exciting mix of cultures. There is a large Indian community, descendants of indentured labourers who came to work on the Natal sugar estates in the 1850s and who provide the city with an intoxicating oriental flavour enhanced by their shrines, bazaars and tantalising curry restaurants. There are also the Zulu people, whose proud warrior ancestors inhabited the province before the coming of the European colonial powers. The heritage of the amaZulu is very evident in the region north of the Tugela River, known as Zululand, where legendary King Shaka once ruled supreme and today is where most of Kwa-Zulu Natal's game parks are to be found.
Durban is the gateway not only to the coastal beach resorts of the province, but also to the rolling hills and plains of the Natal Midlands and their backdrop, the majestic, jagged peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains, which border the province in the west.
Durban is located on the E coast of South Africa, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is 1,050 mls NE of Cape Town; 575 mls NE of Port Elizabeth; 370 mls SE of Johannesburg and its international airport. 12 mls N of Durban International Airport. It is positioned on fairly flat land facing E onto the Indian Ocean and S onto the Bay of Natal, one of the world's largest natural harbours.
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Durban is often billed as South Africa's premier holiday destination and, for the national population, it probably is so. However, mass-market appeal has created a fairly tacky seaside resort similar to many of the larger Spanish ones at their worst. Unless visiting friends or relatives, there are better places to spend valuable time in the country. If a seaside break is essential between safaris and Cape Town, Umhlanga Rocks, 11 mls N, is a more attractive option.
Accommodation consists of one 5-star, one 4-star and a whole raft of beachfront tower blocks in the 3-star category, which says something about the type of market attracted here. Many of the older hotels have upgraded and refurbished in anticipation of the expected tourist boom. Several more, mainly modern, hotels at Umhlanga Rocks.
Beachwise there is a huge, broad stretch of golden sand running the whole length of the Golden Mile and beyond. Separated by piers and variously called North Beach, Dairy Beach and South Beach. Umhlanga Rocks has slightly narrower but equally sandy beaches separated by rocky promontories. The Indian Ocean can be rough and there are sharks off this coast, so it is advisable to swim only where it is recommended and within view of lifeguards. Shark netting exists along the whole of the Golden Mile.
Shoppers are greated with a wide selection of options, from large stores to boutiques, markets and Zulu women street hawkers all along the beach front. The "Tourist Junction" building has plenty of small tourist shops, housed in old railway workshops. Indian market for curry spices, teak chests, brass etc. Various upmarket suburban malls, such as Pavilion near Westville and Gateway at Umhlanga (which even has cinemas and a theatre).
Entertainment and activities include: various Victorian buildings, including City Hall (which has a library, art gallery and natural history museum). Da Gama Clock. Amphitheatre Gardens. Botanical gardens, several parks and sports stadiums. Minitown, with models of many Durban buildings. Beachfront funfair. Sea World aquarium and dolphinarium. Snake park. Jumah Mosque. Plenty more things to pass the time if not on the beach. By night there is some culture with concerts and shows, but mainly devoted to bars, discos and nightclubs operating till late.
Durban offer plenty of restaurants (both in and out of hotels) reflecting the city's cosmopolitan nature. Lots of cheaper options at steakhouses, pizzerias, burger bars and other fast-food eateries.
Public transport is not advised. Taxis are best ordered through your hotel, which will normally have a fixed contract. Car hire will give greater freedom. Rickshaw rides pulled by Zulu "warriors" along Golden Mile.
Local excursions include a tour of Durban by Night, Oriental drive/Indian market, various harbour cruises, various tours to the N and S coasts, inland, game reserves, Zulu villages, battlefields and Drakensberg Mountains.
Durban Suitability ProfileSun Snow Beaches History/Culture Romance Peace & Quiet Hustle & Bustle | Activity & Adventure Famous Landmarks Water Sports Natural Beauty Art & Architecture Family Entertainment Good Nightlife | Safari Plenty of Restaurants All Inclusive Hotels Luxury Accommodation Plenty of Shops |
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Population: 44.344.100
Languages: IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Se
Currency: rand
Currency code: ZAR
Local Times:
South Africa - Cape Town
South Africa - Johannesburg
South Africa - Pretoria
Country Dialling Code: +27
Voltage: 220/230V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
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South Africa lies at the southernmost part of the African continent. It is bordered to the north by Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the northeast by Mozambique and Swaziland and to the northwest by Namibia. On the east coastline lies the Indian Ocean, the Southern coastline the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and Atlantic Ocean on the western side. South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century South Africa was regarded by most of the world as a pariah state where the ruling white minority passed a range of draconian laws to subdue and enslave the black majority. All this changed in 1994 with the release from prison of world-renowned freedom fighter and icon of the oppressed, Nelson Mandela. A new age of democracy was ushered in, and South Africa was suddenly revealed to the world in her beautiful true colours: a rainbow nation with a kaleidoscope of cultures and a host of attractions to enthral and entrance visitors.
A decade later tourists are flocking to sunny South Africa in droves, particularly to the Western Cape with its magnificent scenery, beautiful beaches, majestic mountains and green winelands.
The Republic, at the southern tip of Africa surrounded by ocean on three sides, offers a taste of the African experience with the chance to visit traditional tribal villages, game reserves and sprawling townships. At the same time it also offers the trappings of a first world holiday experience, with luxury hotels, sophisticated shopping, exciting theme parks and clean beaches. Have breakfast in a New York style deli; lunch in an African shebeen; cocktails on a sunset cruise; and dine in style in a fine British colonial restaurant. This is possible in a South African city.
It is not only cultural diversity that makes South Africa magical. The country has a wealth of animal and plant life scattered across its varied climactic zones from desert to snow-covered mountains, forests to grasslands and mangrove swamps. Historically, too, there is plenty to discover, from the fossils of ancient hominids, to the pioneering spirit of the Dutch 'voortrekkers' and the settlement of the Eastern Cape frontier by the British colonialists.
South Africa has been billed as 'a world in one country', and any visitor who has experienced its delights, from the jumble of Johannesburg, the city built on gold mines in the north, to the sophistication of Cape Town in the south, is bound to agree.
Most of South Africa has elevations of over 914m (3,000 ft) and at least 40% of the surface is at an elevation of over 1,220m (4,000 ft). Parts of Johannesburg are 1,829m (6,000 ft) above sea level. Resembling an inverted saucer, the land rises steadily from west to east to the Drakensberg Mountains, the tallest of which is Mont-aux-Sources at 3,300m (10,823 ft).
South Africa is a heady mix of third and first world cultures - along with the best and least crowded beaches in the world. Further inland this country offers a wealth of safari experiences, from verdant subtropical beach forests to the sublime isolation of the desert and the world famous Kruger National Park. |
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